FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 187 



for textiles are too good for paper-making. Bamboo 

 has been tried, and may be viewed in as forward a 

 position as it is possible to press a new material : 

 the gentlemen who attended the Conference argued 

 that the Government had not concentrated its 

 energies in developing the plaintain and Bmchinia 

 fibres." 



It was argued that it was "essential that information 

 should be afforded respecting the quantity available, 

 and the probable cost of any proposed new fibre." 

 And it was stated " to be indispensably necessary in 

 a fibre intended for paper to reduce the bulk to 

 a minimum, so as to lessen the cost of freight to 

 Europe, provided that this reduction did not entail 

 any elaborate or costly process. Simple methods 

 for doing so are known, such, for example, as beating 

 to remove dirt, and hydraulic baling of the fibre into 

 conveniently-sized packages." 



On the fibres of the West African Colonies in 

 the late Exhibition IMessrs. Cross and Bevan, Con- 

 sulting Chemists — whose analysing capabilities are 

 now well known — 4, New Court, Lincoln's Inn, 

 London, W.C, to whom I stand much indebted 

 for their courtesy and ready and generous help, 

 say : — 



" In these sections we found specimens of very in- 

 teresting nature. The textiles of native production 

 are extremely ingenious and tasteful in their com- 

 binations of colour. From amongst the raw fibrous 



